Two-motion selective switch



NV. 23, 1954 H. sENGEBuscH TWO-MOTION SELECTIVE SWITCH 2 Sheet's-Sheet l Filed Jan. 5, 1952 R. MTW Nc, ES VU Nn In@ x7 .5% N A H ATTY.

Nov. 23, 1954 H. sewer-:BUSCH TWO-MOTION SELECTIVE SWITCH Filed Jan. 5, 19,52

2 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR. uns ssussausn ATTY.

United States Patent C) TWG-MGTION SELECTIVE SWITCH Hans Sengebusch, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Automatic Electric Laboratories, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application January 5, 1952, Serial No. 265,063 3 Claims. (Cl. 179-2752) The present invention relates to improvements in two motion selective switches, and more specically to an improved at type switch for use in telephone systems selectively operating in two directions.

The objects and features of this invention are the rapid and positive operation of a two motion fiat switch, a minimum of parts to such a switch, and the complete operation and restoration of the switch by only two electromagnets.

Other objects and features will become apparent from a perusal of the following specification and drawings of which: Fig. l is a top plan view of one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken along the line 2f-2 of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cut-away top View showing the novel changeover and release means of the present embodiment.

The present embodiment is the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that changes can be made in the present embodiment by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

The switch disclosed is of the direct drive type in which an electromagnet 30 rotates the wiper assembly 65 to a position before a selected group of bank contacts, and then moves the wiper assembly 65 radially into the group of bank contacts. The electromagnet 30 through its armature 32 acts upon a rotatively mounted driving element 20. Initially the wiper assembly 65 is locked to the driving element so that the wiper assembly 65 is rotated as the driving element 20 is rotated. Upon completion of the rotary motion of the switch the wiper assembly 65 is unlocked from the driving element 20 and locked from further rotational movement and the magnet 30, through armature 32 acting upon the driving element 2l), causes a gear assembly 90 to be rotated. The gear assembly 90 has gear teeth 91 thereon which are in mesh with the upon which the wiper assembly 65 is mounted. The operation of magnet 30 then causes a radial movement of the wiper assembly 65. A spring 70, attached to the base 8i) of the switch and the driving element 20, is tensioned by the operation of the switch and, when the switch is released, the power stored in this spring 70 serves to restore the switch first radially and then rotary.

The present embodiment will now be described in detail, with reference to Figs. 1-3. A base 80 is provided upon which the various components of the switch are mounted. This base 80 may be mounted in a vertical row with any number of similar switches. A plurality of bare wire contact bank assemblies 93 are accessible to this switch. These assemblies 93 are mounted in a frame 94. The frame 94 and the assemblies 93 will not be described in detail as they are shown and described in detail in my application for Hat type switches, iiled August l2, 1951, Serial No. 236,377.

A carriage 10 and the driving element 20 are rotatiyely mounted, adjacent one another on the base 80 by means of mounting means 25. The mounting is of any type well known in the art. Part of the carriage 10, can be seen in Figs. l and 2. The carriage 10 has an irregular shape, its shape being such that it rigidly supports the channel members 67 in which the wiper rack 64 slides, also supporting the lock bar 60 which is mounted on the carriage by means of the mounting means 63, and also supporting the gear assembly 90 which is rotatively mounted on the carriage 10. As can be seen in Figs. 1 and 2 the driving element 20 is cirgear teeth 66 of the wiper rack 64 A number of ratchet teeth 22 are disposed about the periphery of the driving element 20. A number of pins 23 are rigidly mounted on the upper surface of the driving element 20 and extend in an upward direction therefrom. There is a slot 24 on the periphery of the driving element 20, and this slot 24 is engaged by a downward projecting extension 62 of the lock bar 60 when the driving element 20 and the carriage 10 have the relative position shown in Fig. 1. A pin 21 is mounted on the underside of the driving element 20 and extends in a downward direction. To complete the description of the driving element 20 there is a pin 72 on the underside of the driving element 20 for attaching one end of the restoration spring 70 to the driving element 20. The magnet 30 causes the rotation of the driving element 20 and the carriage 10 in a manner to be described hereinafter.

The lock bar 60 controls the relative movement of the carriage 10 to the driving element 20. The lock bar 60 is made of a material such as spring steel and is mounted at one end thereof on the carriage 10 by means of mounting means 63. The lock bar 60 normally rests against the carriage 10 so that if the free end of the lock bar 60 is raised a bias or tension is created in the lock bar 60 tending to force it downward. The lock bar 60 has a slot 69 therein. A projection 68 mounted on the carriage 10 extends through the slot 69 to prevent any rotational movement of the lock bar 60 about its mounting means 63. The lock bar 60 has two projections on the free end thereof. One of them, projection 62 extends in a downward direction therefrom as can be seen in Fig. 2. This projection engages the slot 24 in the driving element 20 when the lock bar 60 is normal, and when the carriage 10 and the driving element 20 have the relative position shown in Fig. l. Therefore when the carriage 10 and the driving element 20 have the relative position shown in Fig. 1 and the lock bar 60 is normal, the carriage 10 and the driving element 20 are locked together and any rotation of the driving element 20 will result in a similar rotation of the carriage 10. Now if the lock bar 60 is raised from normal the projection 62 will be free of the slot 24 and a rotation of the driving element 20 will not result in a rotation of the carriage 10. The other projection on the lock bar 60 is projection 61 and this projection extends in an upward direction therefrom as seen in Fig. 2. This projection 61 is engageable with the plate 50 which will be described below.

The electromagnet 40 controls means, which will now be described in detail, which control the movement of the driving element 20 and the carriage 10. The electromagnet 40 is mounted with its core perpendicular to the base 80 as can be seen in Fig. 2. An armature 43 is pivotally mounted adjacent to magnet 40 by means of mounting means 45. An arcuate shaped element 50 is rigidly mounted some distance from the base 80 by means of mounting means 51. A series of notches are disposed along the inner arc of the element 50. These notches 53 correspond to each rotary step of the switch, and are engageable by the projection 61 of the lock bar 60 in any rotary step of the carriage 10. Stops 52 mounted on the plate 50 determine the restored and the maximum rotary positions of the wiper assembly 65. An arcuate shaped element 55 is provided for raising the projection 61 to engage one of the notches 53. The element 55 has projections 56 on each end thereof, and these projections 56 extend in a downward direction. The base 80 has slots 81 therein, and the projections 56 of the plate 55 rest in the slots 81 whereby the element 55 is pivoted about the intersection of the projections 56 and the slots 81. The periphery of the arcuate shaped element 55 has an upwardly extending rim portion thereon as can be seen in Fig. 2 where a section of the rim is shown broken away. This portion of the element 55 is disposed beneath the projection 61 and the inner arc of the plate 50 so that if the carriage 10 is in some rotary position and the element 55 is raised the projection 61 will be forced upward into engagement with one of the notches in the plate 50. It should be noted again that if the projection 61 is so raised, the projection 62 will be free of the notch 24 in the driving element 20. The means for pivoting the element 55 in an upward or cular in shape.

- downward direction comprises the bar 44, the armature 43, and the magnet 46." The bar 44 -is attached l-to one -v end of the armature 43 and the element 55 as can be seen in Figs. 2 and 3. Therefore it is obvious that when the magnet 40 is energized the element 55 isv pivoted'in a downward. direction and when the magnet .49 is deenergized the element 55 is pivoted in an upward direction. A resilient spring 58 mounted on the base Sti by means of mounting means 57 is so positioned as to bias the element 55 in an upward direction. 1f the carriage 10 is in some rotary position and the magnet 441 is deenergized the bias in the spring S3 is sufficient to overcome the bias of the lock bar 60, and will therefore cause the projection 61 to engage one of the notches in the plate 5t). It can thusbe easily seen that when magnet 40 is energized, the carriage 1t) and the driving element 20 are 1rocked together for rotational movement as a unit, and when magnet 411 is deenergized with the carriage in some rotary position, the carriage 1t) is locked from further rotational movement while the driving element is free to rotate further.

Turning next to the means for rotating the driving element 20, an electromagnet 3i) is provided, which is mounted on the base 8G as can be seen in Fig. 1. An armature 32 is pivotally mounted to the heel piece 31 of the magnet by means of mounting means 33. A pawl 34 is pivotally mounted on one end of the armature 32, and is so positioned as to engage the ratchet teeth 22 of the driving element 20. A spring 36 mounted on the armature 32 and the pawl 34 biases the pawl 34 in a counterclockwise direction as seen in Fig. l. The end of the armature 32 having the pawl 34 thereon, is shaped to a point 35 and positioned so as to be engageable with one of the ratchet teeth 22. This engagement is caused when the magnet 3th is energized, pivoting its armature 32 which causes the pawl 34 to operate against one of the ratchet teeth 22 to step the driving element 2@ in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. l; the tip 35 of the armature 32 will then be forced into engagement with one of the ratchet teeth 22 thereby preventing any further rotational movement of the-driving element 20 by the pawl 34. A switch element which performs this function is commonly called a pawl stop and it limits the driving element to one rotary step for each energization of magnet 30. A stop 39 is rigidly mounted on the base 80 and limits the counterclockwise rotation of the armature 32. A spring 37 is mounted at one end on the base 80 by means of mounting means 38 and has its free end hooked over the armature 32, biasing the armature 32 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed 'in Fig. l, against the stop 359. When-magnet 3i) is deenergized spring 37 quickly restores the armature 32. A detent 41 is mounted on the base 80 by means of mounting means 42. The tip of the detent 41 engages the ratchetteeth 22 of the driving element Zit-and maintains the driving element 2d in any stepped position as the armature 32 is restored. It can thus be seen that' by the energization and deenergization of magnet` 3i? the driving element 20 is rotated in steps in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. l.

T o turn nextto the means for causing a radial movement of the wiper assembly 65, a gear assembly 90 is provided therefor. As mentioned hereinbefore the gear assembly 90 is rotatively mounted on the carriage 10 by means of mounting means 92. The gear assembly 96 comprises two sets of gears having gear teeth 14 and 91 thereon, which are mounted together and rotate as a unit about the same axis of rotation. A series of pins- 23 are mounted on the upper surface of the driving element 20 and extend in an upward direction therefrom. These pins 23 are so positioned on the driving element 20 as to engage the gear teeth 14 of the gear assembly 90. The wiper assembly 65 is rigidly mounted on a gear raclr 64. The gear rack 64 is slidably mounted between the channel members 67 which are rigidly mounted on the carriage 10. The gear rack 64 has a series of gear teeth 66 along one edge thereof. These gear teeth 66 engage the gear teeth 91 of the gear assembly 9i? through an opening in one of the channel members 67. Therefore it can be seen that if the carriage 10 is locked against rotational movement and the driving element 2t? is rotated the pins 23 will cause a counterclockwise rotation of the gear assembly 941, as seen in Fig. l, which in turn will move the wiper assembly 65 in a radial direction.

This completes a description of the components of the switch necessary for the operation vof the switch.

To turn next to the means for restoring the switch, particular reference is made to Fig. 3. The spring 70 supplies the power for the restoration of the switch. This spring 76 is attached at one end to the base 80 by means of mounting means 71. The other end of the spring 7G is attached to a pin 72 mounted on the underside of the driving element 20. This spring iti is under tension at all times, but as the switch is operated and the driving element thereby rotated the spring 70 is tensioned an additional amount. The switch when operated is maintained in that condition by the detent 41 and by the projection 61 in one of the notches of the plate 5S. To free the projection 61from the plate 5&1 it is necessary to energize the magnet 411 which causes the element to be moved downward. However the projection 61 will not be freed from the plate 50 until the switch is returned to normal radially because the projection 62 of the lock bar is not in alignment with the slot 24 of the driving element 21B, but the projection 62 will be riding on the upper surface of the driving element 241, thereby keeping the projection 61 in engagement with the plate 511. To allow the spring to restore the switch radially the detent 41 and the pawl 34 must be removed from engagement with the ratchet teeth 22 of the driving element 20. To accomplish this an element 11 is provided, as can be seen in Fig. 3. The clement 11 is rotatively mounted about a hub 58 which is mounted about the mounting means 2S and has two arms 15 and 16 mounted thereon. Arm 16 is T-shaped and has two rollers 17 and 18 rotatively mounted thereon. The rollers 17 and 18 are so disposed as to be engageable with the detent 41 and the pawl 34 respectively. As can be seen in Fig. 3 if element 11 is rotated counterclockwise the detent 41 and the pawl 34 will be forced out of engagement with the ratchet teeth 22. To rotate the element 11 a control bar 46 is provided therefor. This control bar has an irregular shape as can easily oe seen in Fig. 3. One end of the control bar has a slot therein and an extension 47 of the armature 43 is disposed therein, as can be seen in Fig. 2. A spring 2S is attached to the control bar 46. The other end of the spring 2S is attached to the underside of the base Si) by means of` mounting means 29, thereby biasing the control bar 46 in a counterclockwise direction about the extension `47 as viewed in Fig. 3. An arm 12 of the control bar is` engageable with the arm 15 of the element 11. Another arm 13 of the control bar 46 is engageable with a pin 1 21 mounted on the underside of the driving element. 20

as can be seen in Figs. 2 and 3. When the switch is in the restored position as seen in Figs. l and 3 the pin 21 acting against the arm 13 moves the arm 12 of the control bar 46 out of possible engagement with the arm 15V of the element 11 should the magnet 4t) be energized causing the extension 47 to be pivoted which in turn moves the arm 12 of the control bar 46 toward the. arm

14 of the element 11. After the switch has been moved off-normal the pin 21 is out of possible engagement with the arm 13 of the control bar 46 andthe spring 28. will pivot the control bar 46 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3 so thatv if the magnet 4t) is then energized, the pivoting of extension 47 will cause the arm.

12 of control bar 46 to engage arm 15 of element 11. This completes a description of the components of the switch necessary for the restoration o f the switch after it has been operated and a detailed description of the operation and restoration of the switch will follow.

For the operation of the switch reference is made to Figs. 1-3. Initially magnet 40 is energized. This causes the element 55 to be pivoted downward therefore not interfering with the projection 61 of the lock bar 60. Extension 47 of the armature43 is pivoted, thereby moving the lock bar 46 in a direction away from magnet .30. As described hereinbefore this movement ofthe control bar 46 vhas no effect on the element 11 becauseof the pin 21 which maintains the control bar in such a position that the arm 12 of the. control bar 46' will not engage the arm 15 of the element 11. The projection 62 is in the slot 24 of the driving element 20 and the carriage 10 and the driving element 2t) are therefore locked together. The magnet 30 is then energized andy deenergized a selected number of times. This causes the pawl 34 to operate against the ratchetV teeth 22 of the'` driving element Ztl to step the driving element 20 a selected number of steps. The wiper assembly 65 will then be positioned before a selected group of bank contacts. The magnet 40 is then deenergized. The spring 58 will then force the element 55 upward which will in turn move the projection 61 of the lock bar 60 upward against the bias of the lock bar 60. The projection 61 will be forced into engagement with one of the notches 53 by the element 55, and the projection 62 of the lock bar 60 will be freed from the slot 24 in the driving element 20. The control bar 46 will be moved toward magnet 30 and the arm 12 of the control bar 46 will now be in a position to engage the arm of the element 11. The carriage 10 will now be locked from further rotational movement while the driving element will be free to rotate further. The magnet is then energized and deenergized a second selected number of times. Pawl 34 of the armature 32 will operate against the ratchet teeth 22 of the driving element 20 to step the driving element that second selected number of steps. The pins 23 of 'the driving element 20 will rotate the gear teeth 14 of the gear assembly 90 in a counterclock wise direction as viewed in Fig. 1. The gear teeth 91 of the gear assembly 90 will be rotated and will in turn operate against the gear teeth 66 of the gear rack 64 to move the gear rack 64 and the wiper assembly 65 mounted thereon radially said second selected number of steps into contact with selected bank contacts of the selected group of bank contacts, thereby completing the operation of the switch.

For a restoration of the switch reference is made to Figs. l-3. To restore the switch, magnet is energized. This causes the element to be lowered, however the lock bar will not return to normal because as mentioned hereinbefore the projection 62 will be riding on the upper surface of the driving element 20. The control bar 46 will be moved in a direction away from the magnet 30 by the pivoting of the extension 47 of the armature 43. The arm 12 of the control bar 46 will engage the arm 15 of the element 11 and will cause the element 11 to be rotated counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 3. The rollers 17 and 18 will force the detent 41 and the pawl 34 out of engagement with the ratchet teeth 22 of the driving element 2i). The tension of the spring 70 will rotate the driving element 20 clockwise as viewed in Fig. 1. The pins 23 of the driving element 20 will move against the gear teeth 14 of the gear assembly 90 rotating the gear assembly 90 clockwise as viewed in Fig. 1. The gear teeth 91 of the gear assembly 90 will in turn move the gear rack 64 whereby the wiper assembly 65 will be withdrawn from the selected group of bank contacts and returned to normal. When the gear assembly has been returned to normal the carriage 10 and the driving element 20 will have the relative position shown in Fig. l. The projection 62 will then be moved into the slot 24 of the driving element 20 under power of the tension in the lock bar 60. The projection 61 of the lock bar 60 will be moved downward out of engagement with one of the notches 53 in the plate 50. The carriage 10 and the driving element 20 will again be locked together and the spring will further rotate the driving element 2.0 and the carriage 10 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. l to the restored position shown in Fig.

When the driving element returns to normal the pin 21 of the driving element 20 will move the arm 13 of the control bar 46, thereby moving the arm 12 of the control bar 46 out of possible engagement with the arm 15 of the element 11. The tension of the detent 41 will act against the roller 17 to return the element 11 to normal and the detent 41 and the pawl 34 will again engage ratchet teeth 22 of the driving element 20. Magnet 40 is then deenergized to complete restoration of the switch.

An assembly 95 is also provided in the switch. This assembly 95 is mounted on the base 80 by means of mounting means 96, and consists of a pair of contacts. A projection 98 mounted on the armature 32 will operate against a projection 97 on one of the contact springs to open and close the contacts as the magnet 30 is energized and deenergized. A circuit (not shown) connected to the assembly 95 and the magnet 30 can cause automatic operation of the magnet 30. The use of this assembly will not be discussed in detail as its use is well-known in the art.

Having described my invention what I consider new and desire to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electric switch having a'base, a driving ele; ment for said switch, said driving element lrotatively mounted in the base of said switch and having a normal position, an electromagnet, an armature pivotally mounted on said electromagnet, a pawl pivotally mounted on the end of said armature, said driving element having ratchet teeth disposed on the periphery thereof, said pawl engaging said ratchet teeth so that as said electromagnet is energized said pawl acts against said ratchet teeth causing said driving element to rotate, a detent comprising a resilient spring mounted on the base 0f said switch and engaging said ratchet teeth of said driving element so that as said magnet is energized to rotate said driving element said detent maintains said driving element at the rotated position, a tensioned coil spring, one end of said coil spring attached to the base of said switch, the other end of said coil spring attached to said driving element, said coil spring so mounted in said switch as to bias said driving element in a direction which is the opposite of the direction said drivingY element is rotated by said magnet, so that as said magnet rotates vsaid driving element in steps, said coil spring is further tensioned, a second electromagnet, an armature pivotally mounted on said second magnet, a control bar, said control bar linked to said armature of said second magnet so that as said second magnet is energized said control bar is moved, a spring means, one end of said spring means attached to said control bar and the other end attached to said switch base, thereby biasing said control bar in a counterclockwise direction, a release element rotatively mounted about the mounting means of said driving element, two arms on said release element, one of said arms of said release element having a pair of rollers thereon, said rollers disposed adjacent said pawl and said detent so that as said release element is rotated said rollers force said pawl and detent out of engagement with said ratchet teeth of said driving element, an extension on said control bar, said extension moved by said spring means to a position adjacent the other arm of said release element so that as said control bar is moved by the energization of said second magnet said extension acts against said other arm of said release element to cause said release element to rotate, thereby causing said pawl and said detent to be disengaged from said driving element, whereby the tension in said coil spring restores said driving element, a pin mounted on said driving element so as to engage said control bar when said driving element is in its normal position, thereby to prevent said spring means from causing said extension to effectively engage said other arm of said release element if said control bar is moved by an energization of said second magnet while said driving element is in its normal position.

2. In an electric switch, a wiper, a first member, a second member, mounting means for rotatively mounting said members adjacent one another, means for slidably mounting said wiper on said first member, said members having a normal position, a tensioned coil spring, one end of said coil spring rigidly mounted in said switch, the other end of said coil spring attached to said second member, means on said first or second member for locking said members together, means for directly rotating said second member a first and a second selected amount, means engaging said second member for maintaining said second member at the rotated position, said first member following the rotation of said second member when said second member is rotated said first selected amount, means for unlocking said members and for locking said first member against further rotational movement, a single electromagnetic means associated with said last means for operating said last means at the completion of the rotation of said second member said first selected amount, said coil spring so mounted in said switch as to be further tensioned by the rotation of said second member said first and said second selected amounts, means rotatably mounted on said first member and engaging said second member and said wiper mounting means so as to slide said wipers along said rst member when said second member is rotated said second selected amount, means for unlocking said first member for rotational movement, a release element rotatively mounted about said mounting means, two arms mounted on said release element, one of said arms disposed adjacent said fourth means and said fifth means so that as said release element is rotated said one arm forces said fourth means and t 7 said d ith means out. @i iengager'nent @with said ASegond inner-alcon'trol baslid'bi-ynnted i'n1said switch, anfextension o" Tsaid control Bar,saidezteiisiodisposed adjacent to tl1e`"other arm of said releaseelementso' nthat as said -control baris movedsaidextension acts against said other arm of .said release element to .cause said release element to rotate, said electromagnetic means also associated with said control bar and said ninth means for moving ysaid control bar and for operating said ninth meansl .said coiled spring causing a reverse rotation of said second member upon the nperationl of said electro,- rnagnetic means to return Said second ymember to norn mal, said .eighth means .causing said wipers to return to normal :while-said second member is reversely rotating to normal, and a projection on said second member disf posed tov .engagea projection aon `.said rst member when Said wipers reach their normal radial position for returning said -rst member to normal with said second member. v3. Ina switch as claimed 1n claim 2.', a pin mounted on sardsecond member, a second extension on said control hat, saidV pinengaging` saidsecond extension when said 8 memberszarein. rheznormai position to `rnaintain said 'first 'extension Tof, sa-Aidcontr'ol har .out ofeffeet-ire'engagernet wihfsad'therlarrn'of' said releaseelemrent if said eieel troinagnetimeans are .operated when said members Vare in the 'normal' position, and a second tensioned coiled spring, yone Aend of 'said second coiled spring rigidly mountedfin said switch, the other endV of said coiled spring attached to said control bar so that when said second member is moved Gif-normal said coiled spring returns said rst extension of said control bar to the position for engagement with said other arm of `said feiease element when said electromagnetic means are operated.

Referenties Cited in the. f1.1@ O f this patent 

